The GC's day
The GC's estimating team runs a bid room. Sub bids arrive by email, phone and bid software all day. Most arrive in the last hours. The team reads each scope letter, levels the bids and enters a number for each trade. The total changes until minutes before the deadline.
The subcontractor's day
- Check for a late addendum first thing in the morning.
- Confirm the bid time and the time zone.
- Confirm final supplier quotes.
- Review the estimate summary one more time.
- Set the final markup.
- Send the proposal to each bidding GC.
- Confirm that each GC received it.
- Stay by the phone for scope questions.
Why subs send numbers late
Some subs hold the price until near the deadline. They fear the GC will share it with a competitor. This is called bid shopping. The risk is real with some GCs. A common practice is to send the scope letter early without the price. The GC can then level your scope before the number arrives.
Do not be the last email
A number that arrives in the last minutes may not get used. The GC has no time to read the scope. Ask each GC when they need sub numbers. Many set their own cutoff ahead of the owner's deadline.
After the deadline
- On public jobs, bids are often opened and read aloud. Check the bid documents for the process.
- On private jobs, the owner may take days or weeks to choose.
- Ask the GC how your number compared. Some will tell you.
- Record the result in your bid log.
- Keep the takeoff, the quotes and the proposal together in the job folder.
Bidding and estimating · Updated 11 Nov 2026